Oil coming out clutch inspection plate

[Lee Mitch]

I just installed a newly rebuilt engine from a reputable builder that you all know. I won't mention their name as I wish them no ill will. I started it for the first time today and drove it 4 miles. I have 2 issues that I want your help on
1. After returning home and looking things over I notice oil coming out of the clutch inspection plate. After removing the plate, there is oil sprayed around the inside of the bell housing and as such, was coming out of the inspection plate. I had only put 4 1/2 quarts of oil in. What could be the cause of this?


2. On first startup, and subsequent startups after it has cooled down, there is a loud clattering for a minute or so and then it goes away. What do you think this is?



I am very disappointed to say the least and am hoping against hope on the actual cause/s


Thanks!

[Synchro909]

A rattling sound on start up that disappears once the oil comes through is typical of loose main bearings and a loose rear main leads to excessive amounts of oil getting past the slinger etc and into the bell housing. If, as I suspect, this is an original Ford engine, the mains can be checked and adjusted with the engine still in the car although the weight of the flywheel can make adjusting the rear one tricky.
All of that said, I'd contact the people who did the work o he engine and hear what they have to say.

[nkaminar]

You basically have two choices. You can take the engine back to the builder and have it repaired under warranty. Or you can do the work yourself.

As Synchro said the symptoms indicate loose bearings. This would require that you take the engine back out of the car and mount it on an engine stand. With the engine up side down, take the pan off and adjust the bearing clearances. There are various ways to measure the bearing clearances but adjusting them is a matter of taking one shim out at a time. There are various references to show you how to do this including discussions on the Barn.

[Marshall V. Daut]

Did the builder supply the long block and you assembled the peripheral parts or did he deliver a ready-to-drop-in engine? If you did the final assembly, did you remember to install the half-moon shaped gasket between the engine block and the flywheel housing? If not, oil will exit the back of camshaft via the engine block in a hurry and spray oil all over the place. The only fix is to yank the engine out and separate the flywheel housing from the engine block and install this gasket:

[Richard Knight]

First question, is it engine oil or transmission oil. Did you install the engine and transmission together and did you tilt it to a steep angle. Eliminate the simple things. Call the builder, get his input.

[bobbader]

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Your first step in rectifying this is to CALL THE REBUILDER. At the very least, he needs to know you have a severe problem. You trusted and paid him to do the job. Trust that he is the first (and hopefully the last) person you should be in contact with. All of us well-wishers on Fordbarn can lend an ear, diagnose, offer support, and speculate. Right now, this is between you & him. Best wishes for a good outcome.

[nkaminar]

I had the leak that Marshall talked about, Post #4. The oil leaked out on the outside of my engine, but it could also leak into the flywheel housing/bell housing. It can easily be caused by a flywheel housing that is not flat. I fixed my leak with a different flywheel housing, the gasket, and Right Stuff gasket sealant.

Richard, Post #5, had a good point. The engine oil will be a lot thinner than the transmission oil so this is your clue.

But the noise you hear on startup would indicate loose bearing clearances.

[Lee Mitch]

Marshall- The builder did all of the work. I just installed it as a long block


Richard- It seems to be engine oil. The transmission was in and connected to the driveline (Mitchell synchro and OD) when I installed the engine only.



Thanks. I appreciate your ideas. It will help when discussing it with the builder.


I am open to any other thoughts...

[nkaminar]

Please tell us the history of the engine. Why did you have it rebuilt? Were new Babbitt bearings poured or did you have inserts installed? Was the flywheel housing decked? What all was done to the engine?

[Marshall V. Daut]

For that much oil to be sprayed all over the inside of the bellhousing so soon after the rebuild, I wonder if the builder forgot to install the rear main bearing slinger insert in the engine block? If this piece was forgotten, oil would exit in profusion as you describe. That oil is all over the inside of the bellhousing also means the clutch and disk are being drenched in oil. You definitely don't want that. I agree with others: contact the builder and have him fix the problem that HE created, whether it's as simple as installing a missing flywheel housing gasket or as complicated as repairing the rear main bearing, the engine will have to come out for inspection. And that means a lot of extra work for you. But the engine is virtually unusable as is, so what's your alternative?
Marshall

[Lee Mitch]

This is not my original block. This is a complete "new" rebuild. Everything is reported to be new and rebuilt. It has inserted bearings. Thanks again

[katy]

Originally Posted by bobbader

Your first step in rectifying this is to CALL THE REBUILDER. At the very least, he needs to know you have a severe problem. You trusted and paid him to do the job. Trust that he is the first (and hopefully the last) person you should be in contact with. All of us well-wishers on Fordbarn can lend an ear, diagnose, offer support, and speculate. Right now, this is between you & him. Best wishes for a good outcome.

Ditto

[nkaminar]

I think that insert bearing require a rear lip seal. If that was left out or damaged that could explain the oil. But not the noise on startup. That points to loose bearings. If the inserts were not installed correctly with proper crush then that can be the problem. In any case, contact the builder. Building an engine with insert bearings is not like building an engine with poured Babbitt bearings. The builder has to be familiar with modern engines.

[Marshall V. Daut]

Another thought: If the builder converted the rear main bearing slinger "seal" to a modern one with the rubber lip, the machine work on the crankshaft may have not been done properly or the seal was damaged during installation. A few years ago there were numerous complaints by guys who made this conversion and were then plagued by massive oil leaks from the rear main bearing area. 'Turned out in most cases that the machine work was faulty and/or the rubber lip was damaged when stretched over the rear crankshaft flange.
Ask your builder if he made the rear seal conversion. If so, I'd suspect faulty workmanship/damaged seal.
Marshall

[Richard Knight]

Reading thru the thread now it is time to pull the engine out. If it where me I would investigate. Do you have a friend or club member who is engine smart? Depending on your engine builders response to your issue would determine whether I would go back to that shop or have an independent party look for the problem. As an engine builder I have seen so many mis diagnosed problems it is not funny, another consideration is that the engine builder may want to cover his butt !

[nkaminar]

In my opinion this whole conversation points to one of the reasons why people are turning to Burtz engines. Also in my opinion, the Burtz engine can be assembled by anyone with good mechanical skills and some experience with "modern" engines. By modern I mean engines manufactured in the 1950's and 60's and maybe beyond.

[arnhemmer]

Originally Posted by nkaminar

I think that insert bearing require a rear lip seal. If that was left out or damaged that could explain the oil. But not the noise on startup. That points to loose bearings. If the inserts were not installed correctly with proper crush then that can be the problem. In any case, contact the builder. Building an engine with insert bearings is not like building an engine with poured Babbitt bearings. The builder has to be familiar with modern engines.

My engine was rebuilt using inserted bearings. It still has the original oil slinger. No leaks.

[old31]

I will x2 with what NK just said in #16.